Optomec Design Company

Integrated Deposition Solutions, Inc.

Sandia Corporation

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Optomec, Inc.

Vacuum Process Engineering, Inc.

Optemec Design Company

David Michael Keicher

Marcelino Essien

W Doyle Miller

James W Love

Adam W Cook

Kevin J Dullea

James L Jellison

Francisco P Jeantette

Joseph A Romero

James L Bullen

Lee P Schanwald

Mark E Smith

Pierrette H Gorman

Richard John Grylls

Fa-Gung Fan

Matthew David Carlson

Judith Maria Lavin

Carl Schalansky

Michelle L Griffith

David T Schmale

M Eric Schlienger

Lane D Harwell

Donald L Greene

William L Oberkampf

Phillip W Fuerschbach

Lucas B Brewer

Clinton L Atwood

Eloy Phillip Baldonado

David Bohling

Yasmin Dennig

An apparatus for printing discrete high-resolution high-density features on a surface is provided using an aerosol stream. An aerosol chamber has a transport gas that enters through a port and entrains aerosol in an aerosol chamber to form an aerosol-laden transport gas. A flow cell is provided that has a flow cell channel and sheath gas conduits. The aerosol-laden transport gas passes through the flow cell channel and is surrounded by sheath gas passed through the sheath gas conduits. At least one aerodynamic lens receives the aerosol-laden transport gas surrounded by sheath gas. A method of printing the aerosol droplets from the aerosol-laden transport gas onto the substrate with a mean diameter of 0.5 to 8 microns is also provided.

High-definition aerosol printing using an optimized aerosol distribution and aerodynamic lens system

An aerosol-based printing apparatus is provided capable of producing an aerosol stream at a constant rate and constant material deposition to a substrate to provide high-definition, high-resolution traces. The aerosol-based printing apparatus provides production, transport, and delivery of an aerosol stream at a constant rate for a period of time of at least 8 hours and other instances more than 24 continuous hours of constant operation. By inhibiting bulging and necking of the deposited trace, superior line width tolerances are achieved, and such tolerances are maintained for extended periods of time, thereby allowing for both the deposition of complex traces as well as consistent manufacture of duplicate articles that maintain the tolerances across a production ran. The accumulation of fluids in the aerosol and gas transport conduits are eliminated, thereby eliminating the need for purge or cleaning cycles and allowing for uninterrupted operation for a minimum of 24 hours.

Aerosol-based printing cartridge and use thereof in apparatus and method of use thereof

Hybrid additive featured plates used to form an overall microchannel heat exchanger and corresponding method of manufacture are disclosed. Various additive manufacturing (AM) techniques may be used to form walls defining microchannel features on a plate substrate. The manufacturing method is a hybrid process in that leverages both additive and conventional manufacturing techniques to minimize both cost and fabrication time.

Additively featured plates for heat exchangers

Hydrodynamic focusing of two fluid steams provides a novel micro printing technology for printed electronics and other high performance applications.

Two-fluid hydrodynamic printing

The object of the invention is the provision of apparatuses and methods for stable direct printing of continuous films or discreet structures on a substrate using an internal pneumatic shutter. The invention uses an aerodynamic focusing technique, with a print head comprising an aerosolization source, a flow cell, an aerodynamic lens system, and a pneumatic shutter assembly. The method uses an interchangeable and variable aerodynamic lens system mounted in the flow cell, and an annularly flowing sheath gas to produce a highly collimated micrometer-size stream of aerosolized droplets. The lens system is comprised of a single-orifice or multi-orifice lens coupled to a converging fluid dispense nozzle. A liquid atomizer with temperature control is used to produce an aerosol size distribution that overlaps the functional range of the aerodynamic lens system. The shutter assembly can be attached directly to the print head, or mounted external to the print head in a control module. The preferred embodiment of the invention contains no moving parts internal to the print head, and provides non-contact shuttering of an aerosol stream. Internal shuttering of the aerosol stream is accomplished using co-propagating compressed gas and vacuum flows, a single vacuum exhaust flow, or by redirecting an aerosol carrier gas from the input port of an aerosol chamber to a continuously propagating sheath gas flow. The apparatus uses no external parts to collect or redirect the aerosol stream outside the print head. The internal shutter design allows for a reduced printer working distance, so that a substrate may be placed at the focal point of small aerosol droplets focused near the print head exit nozzle. The method produces well-defined traces on a substrate with line widths in a range from approximately 10 to 1000 microns, with sub-micron edge definition and shuttering times as small as 10 milliseconds.

Apparatuses and methods for stable aerosol-based printing using an internal pneumatic shutter

The invention provides pneumatic shuttering of a focused or collimated aerosol particle stream. The aerosol stream can be collimated by an annular sheath of inert or non-inert gas. The apparatus propagates a sheathed aerosol stream through a series of aerodynamic lenses along the axis of a flow cell. The final lens is typically positioned above a substrate, so that direct material deposition is provided. A substantially perpendicularly-flowing gas external to the aerodynamic lens system is used to redirect the particle stream away from the flow axis and through an exhaust port, thereby shuttering the collimated aerosol stream. The pneumatic shutter enables printing of discreet structures, with on/off shuttering times of approximately 1 to 100 milliseconds.

Apparatus for pneumatic shuttering of an aerosol particle stream

The object of the invention is the provision of methods for controlled production of continuous multi-component filaments or discreet structures using a multi-component liquid jet issuing from an orifice. A multi-component jet consists of two or more liquids. The liquids may be miscible or immiscible, and form a co-axially propagating flow along the central axis of a flow cell. The working distance between the exit orifice and a substrate can be as large as 50 mm, so that in-flight processing of the jet is possible. The coaxial flow consists of an outer sheath liquid and an inner sample liquid or composite of liquids. The flow cell and the exit channel of the deposition head are heated so that the pressurized sheath liquid temperature is raised to near or above the boiling point of the sheath liquid at the local atmospheric pressure. The jet exits the deposition head through the orifice, and the outer liquid is evaporated as the jet falls at atmospheric pressure. The sheath liquid is processed thermally, optically, or chemically during flight to form a protective or insulating layer for the inner liquid or liquids. The inner liquids may contrastingly consist of an ultraviolet (UV) curable ink that is processed in-flight or after deposition. Since UV curable inks contain no volatile components, the coaxial jetted filament can be processed without producing cracks or bubbles in the sheath layer. Line widths are produced in the range from approximately 1 to 1000 microns.

Methods for producing coaxial structures using a microfluidic jet

The object of the invention is the provision of methods and apparatuses for controlled direct printing of continuous films or discreet structures using a two-component liquid jet issuing from an orifice. The two liquids may be miscible or immiscible, and form an annularly propagating flow along the axis of a deposition head. The flow consists of an outer sheath liquid with a boiling point temperature that is approximately 10 to 40 degrees lower than that of an inner sample liquid. The exit channel of the head is heated so that the pressurized outer sheath liquid is raised to a temperature greater than the boiling point of the sheath liquid at the local atmospheric pressure. The outer liquid is evaporated as the jet exits the orifice and falls at atmospheric pressure. Deposited sample line widths are produced in the range from approximately 1 to 1000 microns.

Methods and apparatuses for direct deposition of features on a surface using a two-component microfluidic jet

Method and apparatus for depositing material in hard to reach locations of a workpiece. An elongated member is inserted in an opening. The member transports a laser beam from a fiber laser and material, preferably in powder form, to the desired location. The material is deposited on the workpiece and the laser beam contacts the material. The method and apparatus may be used to manufacture a part or to repair an existing part.

Deep deposition head

A method and apparatus for embedding features and controlling material composition in a three-dimensional structure ( ) is disclosed. The invention enables the control of material characteristics, within a structure ( ) made from a plurality of materials, directly from computer rendering of solid models of the components. The method uses stereolithography and solid model computer file formats to control a multi-axis head ( ) in a directed material deposition process ( ). Material feedstock ( ) is deposited onto a pre-heated substrate ( ). Depositions ( ) in a layer-by-layer pattern, defined by solid models ( ), create a three-dimensional article having complex geometric details. Thermal management of finished solid articles ( ), not available through conventional processing techniques, is enabled by embedded voids ( ) and/or composite materials ( ), which include dissimilar metals ( ). Finished articles control pressure drop and produce uniform coolant flow and pressure characteristics. High-efficiency heat transfer is engineered within a solid structure by incorporating other solid materials with diverse indexes. Embedding multi-material structures ( ) within a normally solid component ( ) produces articles with diverse mechanical properties. Laser and powder delivery systems ( ) are integrated in a multi-axis deposition head ( ) having a focused particle beam ( ) to reduce material waste.

Forming structures from CAD solid models

Uniform cooling of complex surface shapes in injection mold tooling can be accomplished with cooling channels that conform to the shapes of the mold cavity or mold cone. By conventional methods this can be very difficult to accomplish. By applying methods of material deposition or material sintering, which include but are not limited to, laser metal deposition, where material is deposited on a layer by layer basis, certain cooling or heating passages could be integrated into the manufactured component that follow the contours and profiles of the mold's complex surfaces. These passages would act as internal heat sinks with a much higher surface area for heat transfer than traditional drilled and plugged straight passages. These geometries could also be incorporated into complex geometries such as, but not limited to, turbine blades where the cooling passages can follow the contour of the outer shape, provide a more uniform or controlled heat transfer from the component. Multiple loops of cooling or heating channels could be designed and manufactured into solid objects for small-scale heat exchanger technologies.

Manufacturable geometries for thermal management of complex three-dimensional shapes

An energy beam driven rapid fabrication system, in which an energy beam strikes a growth surface to form a molten puddle thereon. Feed powder is then injected into the molten puddle from a converging flow of feed powder. A portion of the feed powder becomes incorporated into the molten puddle, forcing some of the puddle contents to freeze on the growth surface, thereby adding an additional layer of material. By scanning the energy beam and the converging flow of feed powder across the growth surface, complex three-dimensional shapes can be formed, ready or nearly ready for use. Nearly any class of material can be fabricated using this system.

Energy-beam-driven rapid fabrication system

A method and apparatus for embedding features and controlling material composition in a three-dimensional structure ( ) is disclosed. The invention enables the control of material characteristics, within a structure ( ) made from a plurality of materials, directly from computer renderings of solid models of the components. The method uses stereolithography and solid model computer file formats to control a multi-axis head ( ) in a directed material deposition process ( ). Material feedstock ( ) is deposited onto a pre-heated substrate ( ). Depositions ( ) in a layer-by-layer pattern, defined by solid models ( ), create a three-dimensional article having complex geometric details. Thermal management of finished solid articles ( ), not available through conventional processing techniques, is enabled by embedded voids ( ) and/or composite materials ( ), which include dissimilar metals ( ). Finished articles control pressure drop and produce uniform coolant flow and pressure characteristics. High-efficiency heat transfer is engineered within a solid structure by incorporating other solid materials with diverse indexes. Embedding multi-material structures ( ) within a normally solid component ( ) produces articles with diverse mechanical properties. Laser and powder delivery systems ( ) are integrated in a multi-axis deposition head ( ) having a focused particle beam ( ) to reduce material waste.

A method has been developed to exploit the desirable material and process characteristics provided by a low powered laser material deposition system, while overcoming the low material deposition rate imposed by the same process. One application of particular importance for this invention is direct fabrication of functional, solid objects from a CAD solid model. This method of fabrication uses a software interpreter to electronically slice the CAD model into thin horizontal layers that are subsequently used to drive the deposition apparatus. The apparatus uses a single laser beam to outline the features of the solid object and then uses a series of equally spaced laser beams to quickly fill in the featureless regions. Using the lower powered laser provides the ability to create a part that is very accurate, with material properties that meet or exceed that of a conventionally processed and annealed specimen of similar composition. At the same time, using the multiple laser beams to fill in the featureless areas allows the fabrication process time to be significantly reduced.

Multiple beams and nozzles to increase deposition rate

This invention combines the precision spray process with in-flight laser treatment in order to produce direct write electronic components. In addition to these components, the process can lay down lines of conductive, inductive, and resistive materials. This development has the potential to change the approach to electronics packaging. This process is revolutionary in that components can be directly produced on small structures, thus removing the need for printed circuit boards.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

David Michael Keicher